Though online sex work and legal prostitution are two very different sides of the adult industry coin, they’re both plagued by the issues of banking discrimination, judgments from the mainstream, and political forces striving to make the business illegal. It’s important to keep a pulse on how brick and mortar operations like brothels are managing these problems so we can support one another, stand in solidarity, and perhaps learn from them.

This week I got to speak with Madam Bella Cummins, the owner of Bella’s Hacienda Ranch, a licensed brothel in Wells, Nevada that she’s owned and operated for over 30 years. This savvy lady has proven that determination, tenacity, and passion are just a few of the qualities needed to have a successful business.

Read on to learn how she’s managed to beat the odds, how she’s made it her mission to uplift sexworkers, and get some insight into how she’s dealt with banking discrimination.

How did you get your start in such a unique business? 

As a young woman in my early 30’s, I found myself in a man’s world raising a child as a single mom, working three jobs to make ends barely meet.

I then met and married a man who was much older than me who needed help. He had purchased what was then called the Hacienda, a legal brothel in Wells, Nevada. Neither one of us had any experience in the brothel business and it quickly became a financial disaster for us. It didn’t matter how many times we listed it for sale, it just didn’t sell. From the beginning of our financial challenges, my husband just wanted out, but I wasn’t so sure that was the correct thing for us to do. There was something about the legal prostitution business that I found fascinating.

My husband, who was in his last days of cancer passed and I found myself in charge of the day-to-day operations. I knew nothing about leading employees or courtesans. I made so many errors, I wondered if I would ever understand the business of sensual/sexual services and become like a madam.

Eventually, after lots of hard work, I figured everything out, reorganized business processes and procedures from the ground up, and it all finally came together.

Now, here I am nearly 40 years later, and the brothel is still thriving.

Bella and her courtesans

What have been the biggest rewards of owning the ranch? 

The personal growth I’ve experienced over the past 37 years stands as my greatest reward.

The judgment I once encountered from others has transformed into compassion, especially for those who may not fully understand the nature of a brothel. As time has progressed, I’ve navigated the path towards maturity, stumbling at times, but ultimately finding a profound sense of unconditional appreciation for others. Once I understood more about people, I was able to build on what my late husband and I had diligently worked to accomplish. Being financially solvent, the brothel could now expand in size with the addition of a new wing for the courtesans, and a new road was built.

Mentoring both courtesans and guests has proven to be my most rewarding achievement. Through this experience, I have honed my ability to be an attentive and empathetic listener, and I have a genuine desire to help them achieve their goals.

Bella and courtesan, Summer

What problems do you face on a daily basis that you must overcome?  

Working with the courtesans to help them empower themselves will always be my most important challenge. Many of these ladies are relatively inexperienced in the basics of business. I endeavor to help them understand sales skills and money management, as well as important professional values like integrity.

My job requires me to wear many hats: ordering supplies, answering emails, advertising and bookkeeping. Sometimes it could be a struggle just to ensure the operations within the building are flowing smoothly and everything is working properly. When you’re the owner, and the water heater breaks or the power goes out, the buck stops with you. Putting out these fires all week long and keeping everything running seamlessly can sometimes be exhausting.

What keeps you fighting all the powers that be that want to shut you down?  

Persevering is about doing what needs to be done when it may be unpopular to speak up. I petitioned the Wells city council to grant me an escort license in September 2020. I presented a business plan and the vote for Bella’s Hacienda Ranch to open as an escort was unanimous. I respect the progressive decisions the council members have made.

I founded the Onesta Foundation in 2019 when anti-sex work groups were working to close the brothels in Lyon and Nye counties. My intention was to help support the brothels’ survival as legitimate legal businesses. I also wanted courtesans to be able to speak up and be heard. I felt as an owner/madam of many years the foundation could be a podium for courtesans’ opinions and suggestions that needed to be addressed. The foundation is self-funded and even though it is still in its infancy, I believe the benefits of Onesta are still to be realized as time goes on and new challenges to the legal sex industry inevitably emerge.

Bella guiding courtesan, Sabrina

Talk to us about financial discrimination.

I have dealt with it for all the years I’ve been a brothel owner – both personally and as a business.

It was necessary for me to resolve these issues and I found a solution by going to small local banks and local credit unions for my banking needs. There is no bank that will loan a brothel money and that is ok with me. I prefer to self-invest, make the money, and spend it correctly.

Courtesans that work at Bella’s Hacienda are independent contractors that receive a 1099 and file a tax return. Large banks question the large dollar amount written on the ladies’ paychecks and have held their checks for a ridiculous amount of time before the money goes through. Smaller local banks that understand our business have been the solution.

In my early days of being a madam, everything seemed like a fight to me. I wanted to be heard. Now I prefer to go around the rock of resistance, finding those without judgement to do business with. If sex work is your calling and doing it legally isn’t possible, then file a tax return as an entertainer; now you have a document a bank will accept. Remember you can’t change anyone’s mind: So, change your approach.

What are your goals in 2024? 

I believe in legalization with regulation because no one, courtesan or guest, should ever be made a criminal for exchanging money for sensual/sexual services. Of course, I am speaking about consenting adults. Anything pertaining to children or trafficking is absolutely a criminal offense and should have severe consequences.

In 2024, I am hopeful that other states will recognize the benefits – such as taxation and improved public safety – that Nevada has demonstrated through its successful blueprint for legalizing and regulating adult entertainment establishments.

My book, Sexual Healing, is also due to be released in 2024. Healing comes with understanding the situation and finding a new and improved solution.

As the longest serving madam of a legal brothel, I know how Nevada’s legal sex industry works and why it works for rural communities in the Silver State. My intention is to keep talking about the benefits to legislators and media outlets. Sensual/sexual service is a legitimate profession, and an industry most in need of humanitarian revision.

Follow Madame Bella Cummins on her X account @bellashacienda.